In line with the promotion of cyber wellness among youths today, the National Youth Council (NYC) and TOUCH Youth (TY) have put together this resource guide to give parents, teachers and youth developers some handles on promoting these values. Highlights of this resource guide include:
  • The latest cyber trends amongst youths and what youths like to do on the Internet
  • Some Internet programmes that promote cyber wellness values for the youths
  • Tips on managing Internet issues such as online addiction, blogging, chatting with strangers, gaming and pornography
  • Featured online resources and software for parents and youth workers

The promotion of cyber wellness on a national level is a concerted effort that spans across both governmental and non-governmental agencies. These agencies cut across different ministries that formulate policies to promote cyber wellness, as well as community organisations that bring cyber wellness programmes to the youth.

The National Committee on Youth Guidance and Rehabilitation (NYGR), National Youth Council (NYC), TOUCH Youth (TY), Media Development Authority (MDA) and Singapore Police Force (SPF) are some of the agencies that are in the forefront of promoting cyber wellness among youths in Singapore.

National Committee on Youth Guidance and Rehabilitation

The National Committee on Youth Guidance and Rehabilitation (NYGR) was formed in 1995 to address juvenile delinquency and youth crime at the national level. The NYGR plays an instrumental role in coordinating inter-ministerial efforts against youth crime through a broad range of measures that encompass prevention and rehabilitation.

The NYGR is chaired by Associate Professor Ho Peng Kee, Senior Minister of State for Law and Home Affairs. Dr Mohamad Maliki Osman, Parliamentary Secretary for National Development, is the Deputy Chairman. The NYGR is made up of representatives from the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS), Ministry of Education (MOE), Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), National Council of Social Service (NCSS), Singapore Police Force (SPF), Singapore Prison Service (SPS), Subordinate Courts, and resource persons from the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC), the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU). The National Youth Council (NYC) is the secretariat of the NYGR.

The NYGR adopts six key strategies to tackle youth crime and juvenile delinquency. These are to:

  1. Facilitate effective networking and coordinate measures spearheaded by different agencies such as ministries, community organisations, schools and youth organisations;
  2. Study latest trends and problems that impact youths and devise strategies to address them;
  3. Initiate new measures and programmes;
  4. Tackle "upstream" problems and root causes;
  5. Strengthen families and parenting; and
  6. Stimulate positive youth development as a preventive strategy.
The NYGR recognises that the Internet and cyberspace era have created new youth issues and concerns. Thus, there is an urgent need to educate and inform the community on such issues, as well as to explore ways of collaboration to help guide youths to a balanced approach in their use of the Internet.

For more information on NYGR, please visit the NYGR website.

National Youth Council

The National Youth Council (NYC), a division of the People's Association, was set up by the Singapore Government on 1 November 1989 as the national coordinating body for youth affairs in Singapore. Mr Teo Ser Luck, Parliamentary Secretary for Community Development, Youth and Sports, is the Chairman of the National Youth Council.

The NYC supports youths and youth organisations through funding, research, training youth leaders and developers, providing youth development tools, facilitating networking and coordinating national programmes. It also administers the Singapore Youth Awards (SYA) and the Outstanding Youth in Education Award (OYEA). The NYC represents Singapore in various international fora such as ASEAN and Commonwealth on youth matters.

VISION: The NYC aims to develop a vibrant, highly-connected and self-sustaining youth sector so as to nurture World-Ready Youth - youth with the values, outlook and skills to thrive and succeed in a global environment and yet maintain strong ties to their families, community and nation.

The three key strategic thrusts of the NYC that support the vision of nurturing World-Ready Youth are to:

  1. Develop well-rounded youth;
  2. Create an enabling environment for youth development; and
  3. Develop a vibrant youth culture.

For more information on NYC, please visit the NYC website.

At TOUCH Youth, we provide a vibrant mix of activities and programmes for youths. Through camps, workshops, counselling and mentoring, we hope to impart leadership skills, develop confidence, encourage creative thinking and prepare the youths for relationships. Overseas trips are also organised for greater exposure to community service and relief work.

TOUCH Youth also places great emphasis on Service-Learning, a teaching strategy that engages youths in a systematic process to discover important values and lessons to enhance their lifeskills.

TOUCH CYBER WELLNESS

  • CRuSH (Cyberspace Risks and where U Seek Help) promotes cyber wellness amongst youths. Log on to www.planetcrush.org to find out more.

TOUCH LEADERSHIP & MENTORING

  • Youth helpline - TOUCHline 1800-3772252 (Mondays to Saturdays, 10am to 10pm).
  • STEP-UP (School social work To Empower Pupils to Utilise their Potential) programmes – especially for youths-at-risk.
  • YLMP (Youth Leaders and Mentors Programme)
  • Service-Learning camps and programmes to nurture leadership and develop project management skills amongst youths as they serve the community.
  • Workshops and seminars on lifeskills, character development, facilitation skills and mentoring.

TOUCH SPORTS AND PERFORMING ARTS

  • Through sports, youths can adopt and develop positive values.
  • Project SMILE (Sharing Magic In Love Everywhere) – youths bring cheer to the needy and disadvantaged through magic.

TOUCH YOUTH LEARNING CENTRE

  • Out-of-school youths are given a second chance in education, by studying for and attaining their GCE ‘O’ and ‘N’ levels.
For more information on TY and its programmes, please visit the TOUCH Community Services website.

Media Development Authority

The Media Development Authority (MDA) was formed on 1 January 2003. MDA’s vision under its Media 21 blueprint is to develop Singapore into a vibrant global media city so as to foster a creative economy and a connected society.

The Community and International Relations (CIR) division of the MDA was set up in April 2005 to strategically position the MDA towards achieving its Media 21 blueprint. It aims to:

  1. Empower citizens to make informed media choices through a series of engaging public education programmes, and to educate the public on the career opportunities which exist within the media sector; and
  2. Build strong Government-to-Government (G2G) relationships in order to strike win-win media partnerships, develop markets, and look for opportunities to collaborate in the region and globally.

For more information on MDA and the Media 21 blueprint, please visit the MDA website.

National Internet Advisory Committee

The National Internet Advisory Committee (NIAC) was appointed by the then Ministry of Information and the Arts in August 1996. The Committee advises the Media Development Authority (MDA) on the regulation of electronic information services and the development of the industry. The Committee also assists MDA in the development of its regulatory framework for the Internet.

The Committee consists of three sub-committees that look into the Industry, Legal and Public Education aspects of Internet development.

For more information on NIAC, please visit the NIAC website.

Singapore Police Force

The Technology Crime Division (TCD) of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), comprising three branches - the Technology Crime Investigation Branch (TCIB), the Technology Crime Forensic Branch (TCFB) and the Technology Crime Research Branch (TCRB) - was set up to serve as an investigative response and computer forensic processing entity for the Singapore Police Force. TCD provides comprehensive analysis, investigation, computer forensics analysis and response to technology crime in Singapore.